Owning your own home

The champagne makes sense now.

They might or they might not. If they have decent access and can poke around then they may give you a decent idea. Or they may just say roof looks ok but couldn't really check it.

I'd speak to the surveyor beforehand if it's something you think could be an issue.

Ours did, but it was quite obvious to spot

Big coverage of the EWS1 fiasco in The Sunday Times

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/thousands-of-families-trapped-as-unsafe-flats-paralyse-property-market-k6nwlhdrp

Same question as @underuser53929 had a couple of weeks ago.
Anybody recommend a decent builder in South East London (South Norwood/Crystal Palace/Croydon) area? We need to sort the damp issue plaguing the garden wall.
Secondly if it’s damp problem will a decent builder be a better bet than a damp proofing firm, with the latters having given us a reasonable quote but whose full work might not solve the underlying issues or require to take a whole side of the kitchen down?

will a decent builder be a better bet than a damp proofing firm

That depends on what work is being proposed, and what the cause of the damp is

Also made It into the mailonline @mashton

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8752581/Modern-flats-unmortgageable-amid-crisis-building-safety.html

Why am I tagged in this?

@E11_FTW I see disco ball dick head was out the front of his house trying to flog his balls today. He looked like a fucking twat I have to say.

Seeing the survey it seems that, regardless of the damp proofing, we would still have to get a builder to check under the decking and retouch the render. So we wonder if the damp proofing is still worth it. They quoted £2000 for the whole chemical treatment, plasterwork and súper fan (£300 fan!) installation. Quite a lot of reading 📖 but I would appreciate a second opinion

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Reading that, the first quick & easy fix would be to remove the concrete plinth up that is bridging the damp proof course, and to stick a French drain in there, and strip the render back above the DPC. Then strip the plaster back to brick, and leave it over winter to see if it fixes the problem.

Someone from mybuilder.com should be able to do that pretty easil in a day or two.

I reckon that mould around cold water pipes is likely due to a small leak, and should be easily fixed (it could be condensation, I suppose).

Chemical injections are woowoo, if you ask me - they appear to be a default solution to all things and anything damp related.

What sort of wall is it? Stretcher bonded (likely a cavity wall, and post-1920s-ish) or stretcher & header bonded (pre-1920s-ish and a solid wall)

Ah, sorry. My bad

Meant for @Señor_Bear

Read your edit - That's silly money.

I think you're bang on the money re: getting a builder and ignoring the chemical nonsense. I'd be tempted to leave the re-plastering for a while though.

Checking the gutters etc... is good advice though. As is fixing any knackered render. Or removing it entirely.

Our potential absentee landlord issue may no longer be an issue (even though it was their solicitor that was missing, not the freeholders themselves). I searched around a bit more then contacted another Croydon firm to see if they had any alternative contacts for them. The replied with the contact details for the partner of another firm that has taken over the clients of the old firm. Massive relief. Although, not sure why our solicitor and their paralegal couldn't have done this.

Found somewhere I like and can potentially afford, but it's in East Ham. It's not that bad round there right? Is it going to be the next frontier of gentrification now everyone's moved to Forest Gate?

There is no such thing as 'damp'. It all has a cause. Fix the cause and you fix the problem.
Chemical injections are total bullshit.

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/archive/rising-damp-is-a-myth-says-former-rics-chief#:~:text=Stephen%20Boniface%2C%20former%20chairman%20of,a%20complete%20waste%20of%20money'.

Found somewhere I like and can potentially afford, but it's in East Ham. It's not that bad round there right? Is it going to be the next frontier of gentrification now everyone's moved to Forest Gate?

@tbc knows

That is very interesting.

We have some minor low level damp around the chimney in the 'dining' room in our Victorian 3 bed.

We are about to rip up the flooring so I've asked the builder to investigate what's causing the damp. I'm wondering if it's connect to the adjacent fireplace which is blocked up and has been for at least 15 years.

I was considering a chemical DPC course in the area but having read that it seems like a waste of time!

Rising damp is a horseshit term, sure. Damp is a very real problem, and as you say, always caused by something.

It is definitely pre 1920's, 1907 if I remember correctly. Walls are either English bond or English cross bond (will have to check the neighbours' brick pattern tomorrow to confirm) with one, or several layers, of render accumulated over time... I think I will follow your advice and get a good builder to have a go at the plinths and repair render. I will also will to have a good read about DPC... I must confess I have no f... idea of DPCs

Where in East Ham?

We're up near Plashet Park, 5 mins from the station.

The High St is not beautiful, and there are clearly a lot of people around who are not living very nice lives, but there are also some nice houses up here, the park itself is alright, and there is excellent Indian food around. A little cafe doing Square Mile coffee and running baby music classes has opened recently just around the corner.

@almac68 is down by Central Park. It's buses only round there, but the park is nicer, there's a cafe in it doing sourdough and lattes now, and a farmers' market. There are a couple of good pubs round there too.

Judging by the number of baby groups and stuff my wife has managed to find, and the food places that are opening, gentrification is coming.

We moved out of Forest Gate because we couldn't afford to upsize there and I think others here are doing the same. But the people who raised their eyebrows when I said I was moving to Forest Gate say "why the fuck have you moved there?" when I say where I live now.

fuck you for living in walking distance of some of the best Indian food in the country. Why do you even cook?

Pre- 20s you may have a pitch layer, a slate layer, or, if you're unlucky, none at all.

Solid walls and lime mortar bring their own problems, as they are more permeable than cement walls, and they need to be and to dry out - cement render and gypsum plaster prevent this happening effectively.

Thanks for the survey advice everyone.
Got a plan of attack sorted now.

@prole yep I moved to East Ham 12 months ago (the rent in Wapping frankly ridiculous) and already I’m seeing quite a few positive changes, east ham north high street is a bit meh, and it’ll be a while before M&S or Waitrose move in, but everything you might possibly need is close by. You will notice a lot of young families out/about at weekends and the local primary schools have good records. It’s still a poor borough compared to the rest of London, which makes house prices affordable imho. My bike commute to Clerkenwell about 45 minutes each way via greenway and CS2. The bonus for weekend cycling is that within 30 minutes you are on back lanes with stables, allotments, without road traffic and the Essex region having tons of descent routes. If you fancy a spin out to the North Downs region, doable via woolwich ferry or foot tunnel. Check house prices on rightmove then come over for a spin some time.
Almac